The 405 Film Digest: 20th May

Bon soir! Welcome back to The 405 Film Digest, in the week that, yes, Cannes happened. So read on for some tips on what's been going down, some lovely posters, a lush, lush trailer, and of course the most intriguing news of the week that was. Lots to keep your eyes busy with next week too, so make sure to check back in between watching that trailer over and over again.

Danny - Film Ed.

Cannes You Dig It?

Now that Sundance is well done and gone, all eyes inevitably come to rest on Cannes. We've not gone ourselves (pesky day jobs!) but nevertheless we've scoured the reports coming back so you don't have to. Check out the films that you should be keeping an eye on in the near-future herein!

Amour

Michael Hanake (The White Ribbon, The Piano Teacher) returns to his favourite themes of innocence lost and enduring hope with Amour, a study of on the inevitable effects of ageing and its attendant dementia on a happily married couple. The buzz is that this is a heart-wrenching, intelligently told drama ('of the highest order', so says The Guardian) which sounds pretty tough-watching to me, but then, those scenes in The Notebook absolutely destroyed me so I know why. Still, for the patient, curious and emotionally fortified of you, it looks like a real beaut of compassionate film-making.

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Beasts of The Southern Wild won the top jury prize at Sundance this year so I'm not sure if it's fair to include it in a Cannes round up, but then it looks so, so good that we thought one more chance to champion it wouldn't go far amiss. Hushpuppy, a small child of 6 is left pretty much to her own devices by a mostly absent and very ill father in Mississippi; thus, she mostly lives in a world of her own imagining, beyond the borders of civilisation amongst the feral wilds. You can read an interesting, fuller account here and make sure to check out the trailer below!

Moonrise Kingdom

Tempting as it is to splurge about what a new Wes Anderson (The Life Aquatic, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited) means to me, I'll settle for reporting that it certainly did the business at Cannes, and, excitingly, we'll be bringing you not just a review of the apparently touching, fleet and trademark-Anderson droll feature, but also a closer look at its lovely soundtrack in the next week or so!

Lawless

Normally, with a cast that can boast the likes of Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf (love him or hate him) Jason Clarke, Dane DeHaan, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska, along with director John Hillcoat (>The Road) and writer-musician Nick Cave, you'd expect a prohibition era gangster flick to have some serious moxy, but opinions seem to be pretty gosh darn split between it being a high-octane jar of rotgut and more of a bad taste in the back of your throat. Either way, it'll doubtless entertain and look great.

News Wrangle

Looking away from Cannes briefly, well, kinda, it was announced (there) that the fantastic Duncan Jones (Source Code, Moon) is helming an Ian Fleming biopic. Moving away from his sci-fi roots, Jones's film is said to have the full backing of the Fleming estate and will commence principal photography later this year. Rumours that Jake Gyllenhaal will reunite with the young director to play the real-life British Naval Intelligence Officer turned writer Fleming are completely made up by me, just now, but would be awesome.

Peter Chelsom (Shall We Dance, Serendipity) is returning to his 'European sensibilities' with a new film called Hector And The Search For Happiness, a tale of a frustrated psychologist who sets off on his own journey of self discovery once he notices his patients don't seem to be ever getting any better. Which sounds great and all, a little inconsequential perhaps considering his past pedigree, but learn that Simon Pegg has recently been attached to play the eponymous lead and you might just be a little more curious! Pegg will be seen on the silver screen next in A Fantastic Fear Of Everything and still has a couple others lined up before Chelsom can get his mitts on him (including The World's End with Edgar Wright) but it's always good to hear the man who made Spaced quotes a cultural currency has some quirkier stuff on his slate to look forward to.

Poster Child

I love this poster for Gareth Evan's new rock-em-sock-em Indonesian fight-fest. It evokes a kind of pulpy, claustrophobic feel, is just on the right side of tongue in cheek and definitely lets your imagination do the talking. It's supposed to be incredible, and we'll be bringing you a full review this week. It's also OUT as of now, so do-not-miss.

I'm a sucker for Guy Pierce full stop. Put Guy Pierce in pinstripes and give him a harsh centre parting and you've really got me. There are a set of character posters doing the rounds but no official quad yet, but still, I do love the imagery of prohibition America and these first offerings are doing a good job of ramming the 'gritty crime thriller' vibe down everyone's throats like cheap hooch.

A simple idea done well. Described as a 'mystical and fantastical odyssey on love', if you're feeling the need for a weepy this week, you know what to check out!

Trailer Park

Just beautiful. So, so psyched to see this film, one of my most eagerly anticipated this year. What's your verdict?